


Marry "Before" Love

by MochiCloud



Category: JO1 (Japan Band)
Genre: Falling In Love, Fluff and more fluff, M/M, Marry for Money AU, More characters to be added, Obviously not beta-ed, Renkumi, Renkumi husbands, Side Yonaruki, Slow building fluff, Takutsurusei as brothers, Too lazy to do grammer check, Tsurusei as twins, Yonaruki husbands, more relationships may be added
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-09
Updated: 2020-07-15
Packaged: 2021-03-05 01:01:21
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 8,708
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25165876
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MochiCloud/pseuds/MochiCloud
Summary: When Takumi was desperate for a job after getting sacked, his new friend, Junki approached him with a dream job
Relationships: Kawanishi Takumi/Kawashiri Ren, Shiroiwa Ruki/Yonashiro Sho
Comments: 9
Kudos: 38





	1. #1

**Author's Note:**

> Wrote this awhile back...

"Please, Boss! You can't sack me! I need this job really badly!" 

Takumi pleaded to his manager with pitiful cries. He knew it was more or less hopeless to ask for another chance. He had been late to work for the fifth time already.

"Leave, Kawanishi. I'm sure they're better jobs suited for you out there." His manager shook his head and sighed, turning away heartlessly.

"But-" Takumi stopped his words when his manager turned the corner. It was over. Now he had no job, no income, and a mountain of debt waiting for him to clear.

Takumi packed his stuff in a carton box and lifted it. It was only as heavy as a chihuahua. There weren't many of his things in the company after all. He was just a small employee.

"Takumi! Wait!" Before Takumi could step out of the lobby, there was a familiar call of his name. He turned around.

"Junki-kun? It's okay. You don't have to worry about me. I'll find a way out myself." Junki was the first friend Takumi made in this company. The guy was honest, hilarious, and most important of all, true to his heart.

"Really? You don't have to act like this in front of me, Takumi. I know your family's problems." Junki frowned in concern, and Takumi could feel his sincerity rolling out in waves. This was also one of the reasons why Takumi told Junki about his problems, because he listened, and spoke sincerely in genuine concern.

"It's hard to find a job these days... I really hope I can find one by tomorrow." Takumi sighed and his shoulders sagged. Junki was right. Being truthful to his feelings made him feel much better.

"I..." Takumi could see Junki was hesitating to say something.

"What is it, Junki-kun?" Takumi asked, tilting his head.

"I can't really help much for your situation..." Junki let out a short breath as Takumi chuckled.

"It's okay, Junki-kun. This is my family's problem, not yours." Takumi smiled at Junki's kind heart. He was glad to have made a friend like him.

"I...actually have an offer, Takumi." Junki paused for a while as Takumi looked at him curiously.

"It's not mine. But a friend's friend. This is his name card." Junki fumbled and pulled out a pretty neat name card that was crumpled slightly by being in Junki's pockets for who knows how long.

"Woah! Your friend's friend...!" Takumi gasped as he looked at the name card.

"Y-Yeah..." Junki's palms were sweating.

"So, what's the offer?" Takumi thinks that it's a normal job offer, maybe an errand boy. 

On the other hand, Junki was looking very uneasy before finally spilling the job title.

"The job of a husband."


	2. #2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Takumi decides to go for the interview

"Niichan! We're back!" 

"Niichan? Niichan!"

"Aniki!!" 

"Woah!!" Takumi jumped up at his little brothers' voices. 

Back at their humble little apartment, Takumi was back from his last day at work and sat like a stone until his brothers were back.

"Shion! You almost gave me a heart attack!" Takumi chided softly as he held a palm over his heart.

"That's because you weren't answering us." Shion shrugged, throwing his bag on the couch and bounced towards the fridge.

"Ehhh? There's no more Cheerios?" He whined after sticking his head inside the appliance.

"You drank the last bottle last night." His twin brother replied him and sat down on the couch obediently.

"Did I? You should've reminded me and I would've bought more on our way back, Shosei!" Shion complained and shut the fridge door.

"I have better things to remember." Shosei snarked.

"Shosei!" Shion shouted before jumping and landing on the couch beside Shosei, spewing creative nicknames for his twin.

Takumi looked at his brothers and smiled sadly. Ever since their parents had died and left a mountain of debt behind, the duty to take care of these pair of idiots had landed on his shoulders. Takumi didn't complain. Instead, he had quit University halfway and started work life. 

In the past one year, Shosei and Shion had been really tolerant about their situation even though they were also going through the pain of losing their parents over a single night. Takumi was really thankful for his thoughtful brothers and would do anything to make sure their financial instability will not affect their lives.

He looked down at the name card that was still clenched in his fist, making it even more crumpled than before. 

Maybe he should give it a try.

………

The next morning, after Shosei and Shion had gone for school, Takumi was fumbling with the tie he was trying to wear for his formal suit.

"Urgh. Why is tying a tie so hard?" Takumi grumbled. After another 15 minutes of battling the tie, Takumi was finally ready to go. 

Certainly, Takumi was nervous. Although this wasn't his first time going for a 'job interview', but the job title had him sweat cold bullets even before he met his 'boss'.

He had contacted Junki last night, about the offer, who enthusiastically called his friend, who was apparently named Ruki. From there, Ruki contacted the person on the name card and then the meeting was arranged today.

Things were going by too fast and it was making Takumi dizzy. Regardless, since he had decided on this, he would have to go through with it. 

He stood outside the arranged restaurant nervously, wringing his fingers until each of them became slightly red. Takumi took a deep breath.

"I can do this!" He told himself and pushed the heavy glass doors, the bells jingling to signal his entrance.

"Takumi! Here!" He looked towards the source of voice and saw Junki waving at him. Beside him, there was a lanky male with blond hair, a nervous smile on his face. But what caught Takumi's eye was the guy on the other side of Junki. Even with his back view, and the silver hair, the posture of the male screamed dominance.

Takumi inwardly wished his boss was the male with a nervous smile. But oh well, lady luck was never smiling at him.

"Let me introduce everyone!" Junki stood up as soon as Takumi strode towards them.

"This is Sato Keigo, Kawashiri-san's personal assistant, and this is Kawanishi Takumi, my friend and the job applicant." Takumi was glad that Junki had a warm and extrovert personality that could light up any atmosphere, because he was nervous as heck now.

"-and this is Kawashiri Ren, the eldest son of the Kawashiri family, which is also the founder of Kawa Resorts." Junki's voice turned polite all of a sudden, and Takumi could tell he had a lot of respect for this man.

Takumi slowly moved his line of sight down...

"A-Ah! Hello, nice to meet you, Kawashiri Ren-san." Takumi got shooked by the fox eyes that were staring him down before quickly bowing 90 degrees.

There was an awkward silence that followed and Takumi unconsciously tangled his hands together, wringing them by habit.

"Sit." Takumi almost flinched at the sudden command by the cold-looking guy. 

"H-Hai." Takumi nodded and sat down next to him, but their chairs were a good distance away.

"Good, now introductions are over! Keigo, It's your turn!" Junki clapped suddenly, making Takumi jump.

"A-Alright. Kawanishi-san, right?" Takumi was surprised at the behaviour of the personal assistant. He would assume that Keigo was newly hired.

"Yes." Takumi nodded to Keigo's question.

"I need some of your details." Keigo passed him a form to fill up. Full name, date of birth, job history... Food preferences?! Takumi did a double take at the question asking about his food preference. Why did they need his food preference? But when Takumi think again, it makes sense. If he were to be hired as a husband of whomever it may be, it's important to know their food preference.

"I'm done." Takumi filled up the form quickly and handed it back to Keigo. But the guy had shook his head.

"Pass it to Kawashiri-san." Oh. Takumi forgot who exactly was the boss.

"Hmm..." Takumi heard a low hum from Ren as he kept stealing glances at the man. He still hadn't been able to look directly into his eyes. Takumi was trying his damn best to be patient as Ren skimmed through his details. For some reason, Takumi felt almost exposed as someone was reading his details in front of him.

"...You're hired." Ren finalised as he put down the detail form.

"E-Eh?" Takumi snapped his head up so quickly that his neck cracked. But before he could double check if he had heard it correctly, Ren had a stood up and left, the smell of a certain flower drifted into Takumi's nose. Takumi couldn't place a name to it but it had smelled refreshing and earthy, seemingly like the smell of a pond.

"Kawanishi-kun? This is the job scope, and details of the job itself." Keigo brought Takumi back to his senses and handed him a few papers.

"Everything a husband needs to do?" Takumi read the only line that was printed on the job scope. How was he supposed to know what a husband does? Other than dying and leaving a mountain of debt for his children? Because Takumi was sure that that wasn't a job of a husband, neither a father's.

But then when Takumi scanned the paper down to the last part, which talked about the salary.

"5 million yen per month?!?!" Takumi literally screeched as his eyes bulged at the amount he was about to be paid.

"Is it too little?" Keigo asked and Takumi almost fainted.

"N-No! I'm really happy with this amount!" He could pay off his debts in just 2 months!

"That's good. Oh and remember, there's a condition behind." Keigo pointed at the last page. Takumi blinked before flipping to the last page and squinted at the last condition.

"To move in into spouse's house?" Takumi widened his eyes. It means he had to leave his brothers behind.

"Yes. We have already arranged for you to move in." Keigo nodded. It was for the best, Takumi had sighed to himself.

"Do you have any questions?" Keigo asked with a small smile.

"Uh... May I know who am I marrying?" Takumi asked shyly. It was unreal. He could say he was selling himself away.

"You don't know?" Keigo widened at Takumi's obliviousness. Did he still not understand?

Takumi shook his head and Keigo sighed.

"It's Kawashiri Ren-san."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's been 2 months since I wrote this chapter heuheu~ It's an unfinished story of mine sitting in my notes but I just decided to post it up until I get the motivation to continue it again :)


	3. #3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Takumi moves in to Ren's house

Takumi sighed for the umpteen time this afternoon. He came back from the restaurant, with a successful job interview, but not much of a different mood when he had set off this morning.

Knowing that he would be wed off to the heir of Kawa Resorts, he should be feeling honored, and excitement(?), but he wasn't feeling any. Instead, he was feeling burdened, and troubled. Of course, who else would he have thought he would be wedded to? Only the heir of the Kawa Resorts would be able to buy a husband and pay off 10 million yen debts like it was nothing.

Furthermore, Takumi's impression of Ren wasn't a very loving husband to begin with. He looked cold, and intimidating with those fox-like eyes. Takumi felt like he was swallowed whole when their eyes met for a split second.

A shudder ran down Takumi's spine when those eyes flashed past his mind. Takumi was worried for his future.

"Takumi Aniki! We're back!" Shion announced his presence loudly with a loud slam of the door.

"Open the door gently!" Shosei grumbled.

"It's not going to break! Stop complaining with everything I do!" Shion snapped back.

"If this continues, I won't be surprised it will give out one day." Shosei shrugged.

"Enough, boys. I have something to announce." Takumi laughed at their banter before waving them over.

"Yes, Kumi-niichan?" Shosei obediently sat down opposite of him, while Shion sat on the floor with his legs stretched out.

"I found a new job." Takumi announced.

"A new job? Did you lose your previous one, aniki?" Shion questioned. They didn't know.

"Yeah, kind of. I was sacked. But don't worry! I found one today, as I was saying." Takumi sweatdropped their reaction.

"That's great, niichan! How's the job going to be like? Will it be fun?" Shosei had asked the same question the last time Takumi got the previous job.

"Y-Yeah! It's going to be f-fun! And it pays really well! But..." Takumi couldn't bring himself to say he's leaving. His brothers were his everything.

"But?" The twins chorused, tilting their head simultaneously. 

"Come here, the both of you." Takumi waved them to his side of the couch. They were still Junior High students, so they were still smaller than Takumi, fitting perfectly into his arms.

"What's wrong, niichan?" Shosei asked, hugging back warmly.

"Did someone bully you? I'll beat him up for you!" Shion controlled his voice level as he was just beside Takumi's ears.

"No... No one bullied me, Shion. And everything's alright, Shosei. My job... My job needs me to live somewhere else." Takumi heard the overwhelming silence from the twins and couldn't help a tear drop from his eye.

"S-Somewhere else...?" Shosei repeated lightly, as if not comprehending Takumi's sentence.

"Yeah..." Takumi nodded, sniffling.

"I-It's okay! We can take care of ourselves! Right, Shosei?" Surprising Takumi, Shion was the one that was taking it better. Takumi was expecting him to throw a tantrum and he had to calm him down. 

"Y-Yeah! We can take care of ourselves, niichan! Don't worry and go work, okay?" Takumi heard a sniffle and knew that Shion was the one crying even though Shosei was the one replying him.

"Thank you for understanding, the two of you! I can't bear to separate from the two of you! But...this is for the best." Without even speaking about the debt, the twins knew that Takumi was heavily burdened by them. They had thought of quitting school before, but Takumi wouldn't let them.

"Visit us often, Aniki!" Shion cried, squeezing Takumi in a death hug.

"I will!"

………

The next morning, Takumi was ready to leave, his suitcase right beside him as he waited for the appointed driver to arrive. Keigo had texted him last night that he would send a driver over to fetch him.

Standing in front of his apartment building, Takumi was patiently waiting, almost dozing off because of how little he slept last night. 

*HONK*

"WOAH!" Takumi's heart jumped to his throat at the sound of the car's honk. He didn't realize a whole Mercedes had stopped in front of him.

"Sorry!" Takumi squeaked apologetically before lugging his suitcase to the boot. Before he could lift the boot himself, a gentle hand took his suitcase from him.

"Sato-san!" Takumi gasped when the taller male was standing beside him, a full head taller.

"Let me help you with this too." Keigo took the hand carry baggage from Takumi and dumped it in the backseat.

"You're driving me?" Takumi asked. He wasn't expecting the personal assistant of the heir to be driving him.

"Yeah. Ren-san told me to." Keigo answered, opening the passenger door like a gentleman.

"Thank you. He did?" Takumi was genuinely surprised. Maybe his future husband wasn't that bad after all.

"Yes. Ren-san is really kind." Keigo nodded as he closed the door when Takumi was seated. He walked to the other side of the driver's seat and got in.

"Are you his new assistant?" Takumi blurted out before realizing that he was too straightforward. 

"A-Ah! S-Sorry! I didn't mean to be intrusive!" Takumi felt his cheeks turn warm from embarrassment, and he hated the fact on how he blushed so readily every time he's embarrassed.

"It's okay. Kawanishi-san. You can call me Keigo, now that you're my boss' husband." Keigo's voice was smooth and elegant, just like how his figure was. Takumi thought the man was suited to be a model.

"And, to answer your question, yes. I am Ren-san's newly hired personal assistant. But I've known Ren-san for a long time. Ah. We're here." Takumi didn't even realized the car was already moving, much less reaching their destination. Keigo was unexpectedly a good driver.

Takumi didn't get to ask Keigo about his relationship with Ren as the taller has already pulled up in front of a modern apartment building.

"After you." The car door opened before he could do so by himself.

"Thank you." Takumi blushed lightly at how he was being treated. He felt like royalty.

Takumi stepped out of the car and his belongings were already taken out of the boot by people clad in black. Looked like the security guards.

"I can do it myself." Takumi took his hand-carry and suitcase from the guard, who looked at Keigo for confirmation. 

"Let him." Keigo smiled and nodded. Takumi was glad Keigo allowed him to do some of the simple things himself.

"I know you are not used to the treatment as of now, but you'll get used to it eventually." Takumi listened to Keigo as he was led into the apartment building lobby.

"This is where I'll stay?" Takumi asked, gasping under his breath at the luxurious decoration even only at the lobby. White and gold dominated the color scheme of the lobby, as a crystal chandelier hung from the ceiling, reflecting off rainbows in all directions.

"Yep." Keigo popped the 'p' cheekily. Takumi chuckled inwardly at Keigo's behaviour. The taller seemed to be relaxing around him more, even if he was his boss' husband.

"Thank you for everything, Keigo-kun." Takumi smiled genuinely at the taller as they entered the lobby lift.

"You don't have to thank me, Kawanishi-san. It's my job." Keigo shook his head after pressing the top button on his left. Takumi wasn't able to see which floor his apartment was on.

"Takumi. Call me Takumi. We can be friends if you want." Takumi offered his hand, his eyes staring into Keigo's hopefully.

"Are you sure? But your position is above me..." Keigo dropped his smile and hesitated upon seeing the hand extended out to him.

"I'm not above you, Keigo-kun. I'm just an employee here, just like you. But my role is different, you see?" Takumi explained. He thought it would be nice to have a friend like Keigo around when he is assuming the role of a 'husband'.

"You're so kind, Takumi-kun. But I'll still have to call you by your last name in front of others." Keigo took Takumi's hand and shook with a firm grip, a wide smile plastered on his face.

"That's fine with me." Takumi returned the grip and nodded. It was understandable. 

*ding*

"We're here. Come on." Keigo led Takumi out of the lift and to a spacious corridor. There were only two double doored entrances that Takumi spotted. One on each end.

"Which floor are we on?" Takumi asked when Keigo turned left.

"The top floor." Keigo answered as Takumi gasped silently. Isn't the top floor the penthouse?

"Remember the passcode, Takumi-kun." Keigo waved his stoned friend over.

"Y-Yes." Takumi walked over and memorized the 4 numbered passcode that Keigo had just punched in. 

*birds whistling & foxes howling*

"What was that?" Takumi blinked when the security panel started singing.

"Ren-san has unique tastes. He really loves foxes." Keigo answered and pushed open the double doors, leaving Takumi gaping in the corridor.

"Follow me." Keigo pulled Takumi along as he knew Takumi was too shocked to move.

From the entrance, Takumi first entered the foyer. There was a round dark table in the middle, a large kitsune glass figurine elegantly posed right in the center.

"That's beautiful." Takumi reached out a hand to touch the kitsune, but stopped an inch above the figurine. He was afraid that he would break it even with a soft touch.

"Ren-san likes it a lot." Keigo added.

"I shouldn't touch it then." Takumi fall back a few steps before jogging a little to catch up with long legged Keigo.

"This is the living hall." Keigo introduced after they walked past the foyer. Takumi gasped at the sheer size of the living room. It was bigger than his apartment! There was an unlit fireplace at the end of the room and it reminded Takumi of the winters he spent with his brothers, cuddling inside mountains of blankets. Those were the good times.

Other than the fireplace, Takumi also noticed the design of the entire living room was modern black and white, although there were some traces of blue, like the soft blue carpet he was stepping on.

"There are 5 rooms, including the master bedroom. Ah. Sorry." Keigo's phone rang and he was quick to answer it.

As Keigo excused himself, Takumi took the time to slowly explore the living room, dragging his suitcase and handcarry along. He found out, that his future husband really love his foxes. There were mini figurines of it everywhere, different postures and poses, grinning and growling.

Behind the fireplace, there was the entrance, to the wide balcony space. There were a few woven couches placed around a huge tatami mat laid out in the open area, forming a relaxing lounge with an open view of the bright sky.

"Takumi-kun! Ren-san needs me back in the company. Make yourself at home and you can explore the house yourself. Just don't go into Ren-san's room! See you later!" Keigo's words were spewed out like bullets and then he was gone with the wind.

"......" Takumi blinked into the silence. Now that Keigo was gone, his thoughts were loud in his mind.

This was really his house now. Or he could say, his 'office'. This is where he will be living from now on, at least for another 2 months, assuming a role of a husband. He still didn't know the reason behind the need for his job. He would have to ask his 'husband' when he comes back. 

Talking about his 'husband', Takumi's mind rewinded back to the previous day, where he had looked at Ren in the eye for one second. It was as if he was attacked by those eyes. 

"Scary!" Takumi shrieked out loud before going back to the foyer, turning left into what seemed like the corridor to the bedrooms.

Which one was his bedroom? Takumi walked down the corridors and counted. There were 4 in total. The door at the end was the biggest, and so Takumi concluded that it was the master bedroom and thus Ren's room.

Takumi checked the other 3 and found that their sizes vary. Without thinking, Takumi chose the room next to the master bedroom, because it was the smallest, and it gave Takumi a sense of security. 

The room was painted light pastel blue, and it reminded Takumi of the endless blue sky, void of clouds. With a sniff in the air, Takumi caught a scent that was different than that of the smell in the living room. Whereas the living room had literally no smell, the room Takumi was in had an almost earthy kind of smell, a smell that he found familiar, like he had smelled it somewhere before, but he couldn't remember.

In any case, Takumi started unpacking his stuff into the empty wardrobe. He sighed audibly. He was tired. The fatigue was getting to him. Looking at the bed, and the serene blue sheets, it was as if the color was calming him down and lulling him to sleep. 

Kicking off the house slippers, Takumi climbed into the bed. The covers were silky and smooth, totally rich material. Burying himself under the covers, the warmth and a certain scent calmed Takumi's nerves down as his eyelids threatened to slide shut. Habitually, he murmured before falling into dreamland.

"Good night, Shosei, Shion..."

………

Takumi didn't know how long he slept, but by the time he woke up, the sky was already dark. He realised, he had totally skipped lunch.

After taking a bath, Takumi walked out into the corridor. It was still as silent as ever. Seemed like Ren wasn't back. 

But when he walked back to the foyer, he caught a whiff in the air. It smelled like food! His stomach grumbled in protest at the lack of food intake the entire day. On the right side of the foyer, there was another corridor, which Takumi assumed to be the one leading to the kitchen, and indeed it was.

Donning his pajamas, Takumi slowly padded along the corridor on his bare feet, not used to house slippers. Poking his head into the kitchen carefully, he saw the silver head, in which he recognised as Ren, standing in front of the stove, stirring a pot of what Takumi assumed as dinner. Through the smell, Takumi could tell that it was potato stew. And the thought of warm stew in his stomach made his organ desire out loud.

"......" Takumi blinked as his breath was hitched at his throat. Ren had turned around at the noise and caught his eyes. Takumi froze. He didn't dare to even breathe.

"Come in. I cooked dinner." Ren's voice was steady and cold. It wasn't really welcoming so Takumi stood rooted to the ground. Meanwhile, Takumi watch Ren ladle a big bowl of stew and placed it on the island counter. Turning around, he filled a bowl with steaming hot rice and placed it beside the stew. Takumi thought they look perfect together. His mouth was disobediently watering.

"Stop playing dumb. Come in." Ren repeated once more, his voice a little more firm, but still not exuding any friendly vibes.

Swallowing hard, Takumi shuffled in and played with his own hair, suddenly conscious of his own appearance.

"Get your own." Takumi was about to sit down when Ren's words stopped him. The stew and rice wasn't for him. Well, it makes sense for him to grab his own share of stew and not have a stranger-turned-husband serve him.

"Y-Yes." Takumi hated himself for stumbling over simple words. He followed Ren's footsteps and collected everything he needed for a bowl of stew and rice before sitting down next to him.

After a soft "Itadakimasu," the meal went on in uncomfortable silence as Takumi ate in small bites. It was definitely delicious, but Takumi was too awkward to give it a word of praise. But ocassionally, he would let out a hum of delight every time the stew warmed his heart in this cold atmosphere. And everytime he did, he could feel his cheeks burning slightly at the embarassment of breaking the silence.

But Ren had no reaction whatsoever.

"I'll wash the dishes!" 

Ren was the first one that had finished eating first, and when the man twitched to move, Takumi had blurted his offer out without thinking. He just wanted to thank the man for the free dinner.

"I really like cleaning!" Takumi quickly said again when Ren proceeded to stand up.

"......" Takumi received a nod of what he would think as thanks before Ren started walking out of the kitchen.

"Uhh...! Kawashiri-san!" Takumi didn't know what came to him, but he felt a burst of courage and stood up suddenly.

Ren stopped and turned, his eyebrow raising in question.

"Thank you for the meal!" Takumi bowed. He said it, and as if a rock was taken off his chest, he felt so much lighter and better. But when Takumi didn't receive an answer, he straightened himself up.

He was gone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please don't have any hopes guys heuheu. I wrote 4 chapters for this story before having writer's block 😅


	4. #4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Takumi finally gets to talk to Ren

After the meeting in the kitchen that night, Takumi never saw Ren any more until the next morning. It was a weekend, and Ren wasn't going to work, and so Takumi got to see him in casual wear for the first time.

The first time Takumi saw Ren, he was in a formal blue and black suit. Yesterday night in the kitchen, he had only taken off his blazer and donned a plain black apron to avoid staining. This morning, Takumi saw Ren wearing a black long sleeved turtle neck and casual sweat pants, while Takumi himself was still in his pajamas.

"M-Morning, Kawashiri-san." Takumi greeted softly as he made his presence known in the kitchen. Ren was apparently flipping pancakes. For a heir, Takumi thought that it was rare for Ren to be able to cook so well, since they must have had servants and all.

"Mm." Takumi only got that as an answer and he cried inwardly. How was he going to survive this? Takumi shuffled in and sat down quietly. He wanted to make a cup of hot cocoa for himself, but he didn't want to be in Ren's way, and so he waited, and dozed off.

The reason Takumi woke up from his short nap on the table was the sweet smell of perfectly flipped pancakes. Even when his brain barely registered the huge plate of pancakes stacked in front of him, his mouth was already watering from the mere smell to it.

But then he remembered, who made them.

"K-Kawashiri-san..." Takumi raised his head slowly just to see Ren cutting his pancake which was, Takumi interestingly noted, drenched in maple syrup. So he has a sweet tooth. Cute.

"Breakfast." Ren placed his knife and fork down before pushing a cup of hot cocoa towards him. Takumi blinked stupidly at the hot cocoa. Did he make that for him? That was sweet for him to do so.

"Thank you." Takumi had forgotten how many times he had thanked this man ever since he had moved in. Wasn't he the one that was hired?

Takumi took a pancake onto his plate and happily reached for the bottle of maple syrup and chocolate syrup with one hand each. He had a sweet tooth too, and hence excitedly drenched his pancake with the condiments until he was satisfied.

"Mmm~~!" Takumi hummed loudly in delight after cutting a piece and placing it into his mouth. With a childlike glee, Takumi joyfully devoured his breakfast without caring about Ren beside him, who was staring at him with an amused look.

"Gochisousama deshita!!" Takumi clapped his hands in satisfaction as he finished the whole plate of pancakes with ease.

"You eat a lot." Ren commented suddenly, causing Takumi to freeze. He had totally forgotten about Ren.

"A-Ah. Sorry! It was too delicious!" Takumi squeaked as he raised his clapped hands up to his head, in an apologetical manner, bowing his head to show his repent.

"It's fine." Takumi breathed a sigh of relief at Ren's answer before putting his hands down.

An awkward silence ensued as Takumi had no idea what to say. Offer to wash the dishes again? But somehow, he didn't feel like leaving the table just yet.

"Why?" Takumi was surprised. He was the one that initiated the conversation. He had just blurted out whatever he had on his mind. Ren seemed to be waiting for him to continue, and so he did.

"Why did you need me as your...husband?" Takumi hesitated at the last word, but there's no point in hiding from that word when he had already moved in.

"......" Takumi looked at Ren carefully. He was now able to look at his face because the older was avoiding his eyes. Ren had beautiful fox-like eyes, able to captivate and draw in anybody without fail. Takumi thinks about how it would look like when he smiles. 

"I-" Ren was conflicted for about 5 minutes before he seemed like he decided to tell Takumi. But unfortunately, Ren's phone sharp ringtone interuppted his sentence and forced him to retreat to the corridor.

Takumi sighed at the failed chance of a normal conversation. He would try again later, but now, he would wash the dishes. Washing and cleaning calms him down, and Shion always says that he's weird.

"-told you already! What? ....fine." Takumi didn't meant to eavesdrop, it was because Ren's voice was too loud. This was the first time Takumi had heard Ren being so vocal and expressive. Seemed like Ren wasn't being himself in front of him. 

"Ah. Sorry. Phonecall from my mom." Ren stomped back into the kitchen and realised he was 'out of character'. 

"It's okay. Understanda- ack!" Takumi flinched suddenly when a prick of pain shot from his finger. He was just casually washing the dishes when his finger was slit against the pointed knife end.

"Are you okay?" Takumi was nursing his finger when a figure appeared beside him, pulling his arm close and inspected his wound.

"Just a small scratch." Takumi murmured, surprised at Ren's intiative action. Well, Ren had always been the more initiative one, making him dinner and breakfast. What did he do on the other hand?

"Didn't you say you like cleaning? How can you be so careless?" Ren chided softly, and Takumi could finally hear at least a little bit of emotion coming through Ren.

"I'm sorry?" Takumi replied unsurely. His hand was in Ren's total control, running the wound under water, pulling him to a seat, and wrapping a strawberry bandaid over the wound. Wait what?

"That's cute." Takumi commented, staring at the strawberry patterned bandaid on his finger.

"My brother gave it to me." Ren answered, putting away the first aid box. Takumi wanted to ask about his brother. He didn't know Ren had brothers. But he figured it should be a question for the future.

Takumi was spacing out for a while before he heard Ren calling for him.

"Kawanishi-san? Can I ask you for a favor?" Takumi noticed that Ren was looking a bit uneasy.

"Of course, Kawashiri-san. You're my husb- boss, remember?" Takumi almost said husband but changed immediately. Technically, they weren't even married. It was just a job title to Takumi.

"R-Right. I need to explain to you." Ren sighed and Takumi was cheering inwardly. They were finally going to have a talk!

After Ren finished washing the dishes since Takumi's finger was cut, the older led Takumi to the living room, both of them sitting opposite each other on the arm chairs.

Takumi waited, he waited for a whole 15 minutes before Ren decided to speak. To be truthful to himself, he almost dozed off.

"I hired you...because I needed a fake husband." Ren started and Takumi didn't need to ask why. The question was hanging loudly in the air.

"As the eldest son of the Kawashiri Family, I was eventually going to inherit the company first. I have a pair of twin brothers, but they are still too young." Ren continued to explain but Takumi still didn't understand. What does that has to do with getting a 'fake husband' as what Ren said.

"My family has a saying that passes down generations, 'start a family first and a successful career will follow'." And that explain volumes.

"My parents had been pushing me towards marriage the past few weeks, and..." Ren paused.

"And...?" Takumi repeated, encouraging the older to continue.

"They said they'll choose a suitable partner for me if I don't start finding one." Ren ended with a sigh. Rich family problems Takumi can't relate. So he was here to put up a show for his parents.

"So...I'm here to act as your boyfriend and soon-to-be-husband while you find a suitable one you love?" Takumi reconfirmed and got himself a nod.

"Yes. And about that favor from earlier. Your first job is to follow me back home to meet my parents." Ren's face was back to stoic and cold. Honestly, Takumi missed the exasperation Ren showed when he was explaining about his situation. It at least showed that he was capable of showing weakness.

"Uhh... Sure. It's my job, right? I'll do my best." Takumi had no idea what to reply.

"Thank you. But we are not going to sound nor look convincing this way." Takumi noticed Ren's little frown.

"Uhh... How about we start calling each other by our first names? You can call me Takumi." Takumi suggested awkwardly.

"You can call me Ren." Ren nodded, satisfied with their progress.

"Uhh... Okay... Ren...-kun."

"...Takumi." 

*silence*

Both of them tried to roll each other's names off their tongues. It was foreign and awkward. Just by hearing his name being called by Ren's voice, Takumi could feel a hot blush burning his cheeks as they stare at each other across the coffee table.

This isn't going to work at all! 

"Uhh... I'll push the meeting back one week." Ren broke the eye contact and Takumi could see the similar embarrassed blush rising up Ren's cheeks. It was a pretty shade against his silver hair, Takumi thought.

"Good idea." Takumi hurriedly nodded. Looking at how awkward they were now, it wouldn't take a second for anyone to see through their act.

"One week for us to get used to each other. I think we should start acting like a couple." Ren said. Takumi knew that he was a little flustered by the way he was flailing his arms a little.

"Uhhh... Sure. How about we start by hanging out with each other?" Takumi suggested with a small smile.

"You mean...like a date?" Ren asked and blushed embarrasingly after realizing he just blurted that out loud.

"Uhh... I guess so?" Takumi's mouth went dry as he was lost for words yet again. 

"So...where do you think we should go?" Ren asked, and Takumi was complaining inwardly. Why was he asking him? Isn't he the boss? Well, if he really asked about his opinion, Takumi would tell him truthfully.

"Can we stay at home?" Takumi was an introvert and homebody. Instead of going out, Takumi preferred staying in.

"...Sure." Ren nodded after a moment of silence. Takumi thought the man was angry for a moment before he intitiated a question.

"How about we start by getting to know each other more?" Takumi observed a small upward quirk on Ren's lips. At least he's trying.

"Of course. Uhh..." Takumi started thinking of what he could share. Maybe something in common?

"I have two brothers! They are twins! And I love them a lot. Even though one of them is a little mischievous and gives me a lot of trouble, I have another that balances him out!" Takumi was never shy about his brothers. He was proud of them just like how they were proud of him.

"They are the best little brothers I could ever ask for! I would never trade anything in the world for them." Takumi felt a soft smile forming on his lips. And then he realized he had been babbling.

"Ah! Sorry! I kept talking about myself. What about you, Kawa- ah. No, R-Ren-kun?" Takumi remembered that they were supposed to get used to calling each other their first names. But Ren seemed to be spacing out.

"Ren-kun? Ren-kun?" Takumi waved his hand in front of a spaced out Ren as the man jerked back to his senses.

"Ah. Right! I-It's okay to be just talking about you. What else do you like? Food? Drinks?" Ren asked with his ears tinted pink. Takumi was sure he was embarrassed. Did he not sleep enough?

"Food? I like sweet things, just like what I've mentioned in the form. And as for drinks... I really like cola!" Takumi answered with a little finger taps on his chin.

"Cola? What a coincidence. I have a friend that loves cola-" 

*ding dong*

The doorbell interrupted them.

"Ren!!!!!!" Takumi blinked at the foreign voice just outside the apartment.

"Ah. There he is. The cola lover." Ren pointed out and went to open the door. Takumi was interested too. Although it wasn't rare to meet a cola lover, Takumi was still interested to meet a person that shared the same favourites as him.

"Ren! Sho-kun made some strawberry shortcake! I brought some for you! And I brought cola to go along with it too!" Takumi saw the silver haired man walk in as if he owned the house and turned at the foyer, straight to the kitchen.

"......" The guy skidded to a stop and almost tripped on his toes when he spotted Takumi peeking from the doorway to the living room.

"YOU'RE-"


	5. #5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The day continues

Takumi didn't know how the past half an hour flew by.

The man who was holding a box of strawberry shortcake saw him and instantly pulled Takumi towards the kitchen with a knowing smile.

The man introduced himself as Shiroiwa Ruki, a long time friend of Ren and now Takumi's neighbour for at least 2 months.

Ruki had cut himself a slice of strawberry shortcake and another generous slice for Takumi. With strawberry being Takumi's favourite fruit, accompanying his sweet tooth, the glossy cake presented in front of him looked heavenly.

"Help yourself!" Ruki's voice startled Takumi when we was staring at the cake with his mouth slightly open.

"O-Oh, s-sure..." Takumi slowly lifted the fork that was passed to him and was about to dig in when he stopped half an inch above the strawberry topping.

"Anything wrong?" Ruki asked and Takumi could hear the enthusiasm in his voice. He raised his head and saw Ruki staring at him with sparkling eyes.

"U-Uh..." Takumi blushed faintly at how such a handsome-looking man was staring unblinking at him with a charming smile on his lips.

"W-Where's K-Kawashiri-san?" Takumi averted his gaze and turned to the kitchen's entrance. Ever since Ruki led him into the kitchen, Takumi did not see Ren follow nor hear his voice.

"Ren? He's probably with Sho-kun in the living room." Ruki answered with a blink of his eyes.

"Sho-kun?" Takumi tilted his head. He recalled that he had heard that name when Ruki first entered into the apartment.

"Ah, right. Sho-kun is my-" Ruki grinned so widely that his eyes disappeared behind his smile.

"RUKI! Time to go!" A loud but gentle voice interrupted Ruki as he perked his head up at the voice.

"Ah. I have to go! I'll come by at night! We can continue to talk then!" Ruki stood up abruptly and waved cheerfully before disappearing behind the wall.

"I'm coming!" Takumi heard Ruki's voice down the corridor and decided to walk him out of the house.

"Shiroi-" Takumi jogged to the doorway and the words was left hanging on the tip of his tongue. When Takumi had arrived, he froze in an awkward manner as he witnessed Ruki giving a taller man a peck on the lips.

"Takumi! This is Sho-kun I was talking about!" Ruki linked his arms with the taller man and smiled.

"Nice to meet you, Kawanishi-kun. I've heard a lot about you. My name is Yonashiro Sho." Sho's voice and smile reminded Takumi of the warm sun rays showering him when he went to Okinawa once during a school trip.

"O-Oh! Nice to meet you too, Yonashiro-san! Please, just call me Takumi." There was a certain presence that the older exuded, a calm but confident aura, making Takumi relaxed but nervous at the same time.

"Likewise, Takumi." Sho flashed a wider smile.

"Now then, we'll be going. We have business to do." Sho turned to look at a sighing Ruki, who had changed to a more serious demeanor compared to when he was interacting with Takumi.

"Fine. See you later, Takumi!" Ruki waved before the duo disappeared behind the doors. As Takumi stared after the duo, he couldn't help but feel like he has seen the two before somewhere. Their names rings a familiar tone to him too.

"They're a couple." Takumi jumped at the voice beside him. He was too focused on his own thoughts that he forgot Ren was in the same room as him.

"They're married?" Takumi widened his eyes in realization. Now that he recalled, there was a exquisite silver band around Ruki's ring finger. He was taken.

"Yep. They go a long way back." Ren nodded before turning on his heels and headed in the kitchen's direction.

"Right! My cake!" Takumi thought of his forgotten cake and jogged to keep up with Ren.

The pair walked in silence back to the kitchen as Takumi blinked in delight when he saw his cake waiting patiently for him to devour.

Takumi sat down and was about to dig in when his fork stopped yet again. He turned his head slightly to the side just to see Ren sitting prim and proper without the intention of eating.

"Are you not going to eat?" Takumi asked. By right, the cake was supposed to be for Ren as the couple couldn't have known that he was here. Takumi felt embarrassed to be eating first.

"I don't like cream." Ren shrugged and folded his arms on the table. 

"Oh." Takumi blinked at the new information. Unknowingly, Takumi stored that little piece of information at the back of his mind. 

"You can eat them." Ren said, his expression stoic. Takumi awkwardly looked back at his cake and stared for another 5 awkward seconds before reaching forward.

"......" Ren blinked when a plate full of strawberries shoved in front of him. Takumi had plucked all the available strawberry toppings and gave it to Ren.

"Do you not like strawberries too?" Takumi asked cautiously when Ren didn't touch the strawberries.

"N-No. I like them. Very much." Ren shook his head in response and quickly took one and popped it into his mouth.

Looking at Ren eat, Takumi couldn't help but flash a huge gummy smile at his soon-to-be husband. On the other hand, the receiver of that smile averted his eyes quickly and concentrated on devouring the strawberries. 

Takumi thought that Ren must love strawberries a lot before he finally started digging in to his own cake. The pair ate silently, Takumi savouring the cake while Ren slowly nibbled on the strawberry after the initial devouring. 

When Takumi was finishing his third slice and Ren down to the last strawberry, Takumi saw a fresh red strawberry shoved under his nose. 

"For me?" Takumi asked with two eyebrows raised. Ren nodded and Takumi grinned, his head reaching forward and closed his mouth on the strawberry. 

But Takumi's lazy gesture caused Ren to get a shock of his life, pulling his hand back in a sudden movement. Takumi's lips had coincidentally touched his fingers. 

"Sowwey." Takumi apologized cheekily before munching deliciously on his favourite fruit, oblivious to a flustered Ren. 

However, when Takumi was finishing his strawberry, whom he had messily eaten, Takumi felt a feather touch on the side of his lips. He turned and froze. 

Ren pulled a tissue and was wiping away the juice that had dribbled down Takumi's lips. Takumi couldn't help but feel a hot blush rising up his face. The look on Ren's face was so serious, but his action was extremely gentle. It seemed like Ren hadn't notice the way Takumi was looking at him as he continued diligently wiping away every single drop of juice, as if disallowing anything from tainting Takumi's face. 

"T-Thank you..." Takumi stammered after Ren pulled back his hand. 

"-change..." Takumi heard Ren murmured something under his breath but unfortunately didn't catch it. 

"Huh?" Takumi tilted his head. 

"N-Nothing!" Ren shook his head, albeit embarrassed. 

"T-Thanks for the cake by the way." Takumi nodded and said awkwardly. 

"No problem." Ren looked down at his lap and answered. There was a moment of awkward silence before Takumi decided to break it. 

"I'll clean up. Ren-kun? Should we have a casual chat?" Takumi stood up and started cleaning up the dishes and kept the rest of the cake in the fridge. 

"Sure." Takumi knew Ren nodded even without seeing it. 

"Do you have any hobbies? Mine is cleaning! And I love to watch comedy shows!" Takumi enthusiastically chimed as the sounds of plates clanging against each other calmed him down, giving him the courage to continue the conversation. 

"I like to da..." Ren started as Takumi perked his ears. 

"Cook." Ren answered definitely. Takumi was sure Ren was about to something else but changed the last second. If Ren doesn't want to say it, Takumi wouldn't want to force. 

"Ooh! I like to cook too! I often cook for my brothers! But they always told me to stay away from the kitchen." Takumi scratched his head in embarrassment. But Ren didn't respond. Instead, he sat at the side, chewing on his lips as if he wanted to say something but didn't dared to. 

"Is there something you want to say?" Takumi noticed and asked. Ren seemed surprised but only with a raise of his eyebrows. 

"No." Ren shook his head in response.

"O-Okay then." Takumi was flustered at the short answer. There was a short uncomfortable silence as Takumi wiped the dishes dry and placed it on the rack. 

"Ren-kun?" Takumi turned and leaned on the counter. 

"Hmm?" Ren blinked. 

"Do you have something you want to do with me?" Takumi asked boldly. Takumi saw Ren's fidgety hands and knew something was on his mind. Takumi saw a moment of conflict flash in Ren's eyes. 

"Do you want to play with me?"

………

When Ren said 'play', Takumi didn't thought it was this. 

Sitting in front of the huge television screen, Takumi was holding onto a console as Ren sat beside him, brimming with excitement. 

With Ren's fingers swiping on the console deftly, Takumi couldn't help but stare at Ren from the side. Unlike what Takumi had ever seen before, Ren's eyes were filled with energy and the type of excitement where you can only find in a child who's looking at his favourite toy. 

"Takumi? Takumi?" Takumi snapped out of it only when Ren placed a light hand on his shoulder. 

"Yeah?" Takumi realised he had been staring and quickly averted his eyes. 

"Choose your character." Ren gestured at the screen. 

"Oh, right!" Takumi fumbled at the buttons and in a panic, pressed the button of choice.

"......" Ren looked at the screen, the pink balloonish character called Kirby at Takumi's side of the screen brought about an indescribable expression on his face. 

"Is there something wrong...?" Takumi asked slowly when Ren wasn't pressing anymore buttons. 

"O-Oh! Nothing! Let's start."

………

After rounds and rounds of Super Smash Bros, Takumi could only conclude: Ren is a gamer.

But that was purely through his observance as Ren was clearly trying to hold back his shout of excitement and all. Takumi sighed inwardly. He wished Ren would just relax in front of him.

After a comfortable silent dinner, Takumi retreated to the room that he chose, opting for some thinking time when Ren received a call from work and had to attend to it.

Takumi grabbed his bagpack and pulled it against him on the bed. He unzipped his bag and rummaged it, looking for something.

"Hmm? Where is it?" Takumi frowned when he couldn't find what he was looking for.

*ring ring*

His phone rang at the end of the bed, making Takumi squirm over to pick up the call.

"Hello?" Takumi answered without looking at the caller ID.

"Nii-san!!" Shosei's voice made Takumi stopped his search and raised his eyebrows in delight. 

"Shosei! Shion there too?" Takumi asked. 

"Yep!" There was a muffled voice on the other end of the line. 

"How are the two of you coping? Eating well?" Takumi asked, in concern of an older brother. 

"Better now since you're not cooking, aniki!" Shion joked as Takumi fought the urge to fly there and smack him on the head. But luckily, it seemed that Shosei was doing the job for him. 

"Ow! What was that for?" Shion whined, his voice much clearer. 

"Nothing. It was a slip of my hand." Shosei shrugged. 

"Why you-" Both of them started bickering and Takumi felt a fond smile creeping onto his face. He missed them. 

"Okay, okay! Stop! Why did you call me? Just to bicker?" Takumi stopped them before a full blown fight would happen and he could do nothing about it. 

"Oh! No! Nii-san! You forgot to bring that there!" Shosei chirped and Takumi suddenly realized what he was talking about. 

"OH! That's why I couldn't find it. I'll pick it up tomorrow." Takumi said, his eyes flitting over to his open backpack

But before his brothers could reply, there was a creak and someone pushed in. 

"What is it that you couldn't find~" Takumi found the voice familiar until he saw the owner of it. 

"Shiroiwa-san!"


End file.
